AP reports, "The US wants to do more in the fight, Carter said, and is 'only limited
by our own ingenuity' and ideas. Carter expressed confidence that the
White House will approve recommendations, saying nothing he has asked
President Barack Obama for yet in the conflicts has been turned down."

Or AP 'reports' since that really wasn't the big news of those remarks.

Let's go to the DoD transcript for US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's actual remarks:

SEC. CARTER: Across the whole spectrum. You know
we're looking to do more, but it ranges from in the air to on the
ground. All consistent with our overall strategic approach, which is to
enable local forces ultimately to hold and sustain the defeat of ISIL,
after ISIL is defeated, but to enable them to do so and accelerate that
process so we continue to look for and identify ways of accelerating
that, and as we find those we will do them. Obviously in Iraq we do
that with the permission of the Iraqi government.

But we -- you should expect us to
-- to see us doing more, to be consistent with the same approach, but it
will be across all the domains, right up to cyber, which I mentioned
earlier.

Now over the next few days I'll
have an opportunity to talk to our commanders, and also to some in the
region here, and obviously look for more good opportunities to
accelerate the defeat of ISIL here in Syria and Iraq, which is
absolutely necessary.

Q: When you say "on the ground," do you mean more U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq?

SEC. CARTER: Yes, I mean, I think
some of these have that aspect to it, but I just want to emphasize
there's a lot more that goes with this, and our -- and our presence on
the ground is -- and will continue to be to enable, not to substitute,
for local forces.

So the big takeaway there?

When he says "on the ground," he means "US troops on the ground in Iraq."

". . . We're looking to do more, but it ranges from in the air to on the ground" meaning "more US troops on the ground in Iraq."

The Secretary of Defense is openly addressing the desire of the administration to put more US troops on the ground in Iraq.

A group of Iraqi lawmakers said they would not take part in a
Saturday parliament session to select a replacement for the speaker,
apparently leaving it without the necessary quorum.Iraq was on course to have two rival claimants to the speakership,
further increasing chaos in parliament, which has already seen a vote to
sack speaker Salim al-Juburi, a fistfight among MPs and a sit-in this
week.

An official session planned for Saturday had earlier been
postponed for “security reasons," according to parliamentary spokesman
Imad Al Khafaji. The protesting lawmakers gathered at parliament anyway,
but later dispersed when it became clear they did not have the numbers
to topple the speaker.

The protesting lawmakers vowed to hold the vote next week. An earlier attempt on Thursday had also failed for lack of a quorum.The
lawmakers are demanding that Iraq’s top political leadership, including
prime minister Haider Al Abadi, step down – accusing them of failing to
reform a political system steeped in patronage. Earlier this week, MPs
held a multi-day sit-in at the assembly.

ALL IRAQ NEWS reports
that Speaker Salim al-Jubouri spoke with Shi'ite cleric and movement
leader Moqtada al-Sadr today in an attempt to strengthen support for
al-Jubouri. AL MADA notes
that Moqtada is calling for the Cabinet of Ministers to be replaced
with Haider al-Abadi's latest slate (which is being called a slate of
"technocrats").

ALSUMARIA adds that Moqtada says the quota system is depleting resources.

Which really means that Moqtada says that the Constitutional system is depleting resources.

Meanwhile IRAQ TIMES notes that the Dawa Party has called out "hollow statements and slogans" being mouthed by some politicians. ALL IRAQ NEWS explains
that was a response to Moqtada who had decried the failure of someone's
third term as prime minister -- referring to Nouri al-Maliki who was
forced out in August 2014 by the White House.

Nouri is accused of working behind the scenes to destroy any movement
one way or another in his efforts to bring down Haider al-Abadi so that
he can return as prime minister.